1. Technical Field
This document relates to methods and materials involved in detecting genetic and/or epigenetic elements. For example, this document relates to methods and materials involved in using an enzymatic amplification cascade of restriction endonucleases to detect genetic and/or epigenetic elements present within an organism (e.g., a human).
2. Background
Many aspects of an organism's phenotype are controlled by the genotype of that organism. In other words, the genetic makeup of an organism can control the traits of that organism. Thus, the presence or absence of certain genetic elements such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), sequence deletions, or sequence additions present within an organism's genome can provide important information about the organism's health and/or susceptibilities to certain diseases or disorders. Likewise, epigenetic elements such as methylated DNA can control or influence an organism's phenotype. Thus, the presence or absence of certain epigenetic elements such as methylated DNA present within an organism can provide important information about the organism's health and/or susceptibilities to certain diseases or disorders.